Stamping RFQ checklist: what to send for a useful quote

Why so many stamping RFQs produce weak quotes

A stamping quote is a set of assumptions dressed as a price. If the drawing is incomplete, the supplier fills the gap with a plausible assumption, and the assumption may be wrong. If the volume is missing, the supplier picks a number that makes the tooling look reasonable. If the finish is a note rather than a specification, the supplier picks the cheapest interpretation.

The result is a set of quotes that cannot be compared. One supplier assumed a progressive die, another assumed a compound die, a third assumed laser cutting. The piece prices differ by a factor, and the buyer cannot tell which one is right.

A complete RFQ does not guarantee a low price. It guarantees that the price refers to the same part, the same volume and the same quality requirement. That is the basis for a real comparison.

The drawing pack

Send the drawing at the current revision, with the title block, the general tolerance, the material callout, the finish and the critical dimensions marked. Add the native CAD file if one exists. A PDF is enough to read a drawing; a native file lets the supplier build the strip layout and the tool model without guessing.

State the revision explicitly. A drawing with no revision in the file name is a drawing that will be quoted twice. If the part is still changing, say which features are fixed and which are open, so the supplier can price the range.

Mark the datum scheme and the critical-to-quality features. A drawing where every dimension is tight tells the supplier that nothing is critical, which is the opposite of what the design needs. If a feature must be held tightly, say why, because the reason often allows a different and cheaper control method.

• Current drawing revision and native CAD
• General tolerance and any tighter calls
• Material grade, temper and thickness tolerance
• Finish, plating thickness and masked areas
• Critical dimensions and burr direction
• 3D model or a flat pattern if the part is formed

Volume, release size and forecast

Annual volume and release size are different numbers and they drive different costs. Annual volume decides the tooling amortisation and the process choice. Release size decides the setup frequency, the packaging and the inventory.

A part with a high annual volume but a small monthly release may still need many setups, which raises the piece price. A part with a low annual volume and a large release may be cheaper per piece than the annual number suggests. State both, and state the expected life of the programme.

A forecast is not a commitment, but it helps the supplier choose the tool and the press. If the volume is uncertain, give a range and say what the low and high cases are. A supplier can then quote a price for each, which is more useful than a single number built on a guess.

Material and finish

Name the alloy, the temper and the thickness with its tolerance. A callout of 1.5 mm copper is not enough, because copper alloys differ in conductivity, strength and formability. If the part carries current, state the conductivity requirement or the alloy. If it acts as a spring, state the temper.

For the finish, name the process, the standard and the thickness on the functional areas. Tin, nickel, silver and gold are not interchangeable. If the part is pre-plated, say so, because the coating has to survive the die. If only the joint is plated, say where the plating stops.

Add any masking, passivation or post-plating bake. A hydrogen embrittlement relief bake is not a detail on a high-strength part; it is a process step with a cost and a lead time. If the drawing does not mention it, the quote will not include it.

Quality and inspection requirements

State the inspection level, the standard and the documents you expect with the shipment. A first article report, a material certificate and a plating certificate are common. PPAP, a control plan and a capability study are a different level of work and a different cost.

If the part is safety-related or goes into a regulated product, say so at the RFQ stage. The supplier needs to know whether the tool requires slug detection, a mistake-proofing check or a full layout. Adding those after the tool is built is expensive for both sides.

Name the acceptance standard for the appearance and the burr. A visual standard such as a limit sample is more useful than the word good. If the customer has a specific packaging requirement, include it, because the pack is part of the delivered part.

Commercial terms and delivery

State the delivery destination, the Incoterm and the expected shipment frequency. A quote that assumes a different Incoterm is not comparable, even if the piece price looks lower. The same applies to packaging, labelling and any vendor-managed inventory arrangement.

Ask for the tooling cost as a separate line, with the ownership and the payment terms. Ask how scrap is credited and whether the metal price is fixed or indexed. On a copper or stainless part, the metal price can move more than the conversion cost over a year.

State the currency and the quotation validity. A quote in a currency that is not the buyer's introduces a risk that should be priced or hedged. A validity of thirty days is common for a metal part; a longer validity may come with an index.

The checklist

The table below is a compact version of the pack. Use it as a checklist before the RFQ goes out, and as a comparison grid when the quotes come back.

Comparing the quotes

Put every quote on the same basis before comparing. Normalise the Incoterm to the delivery destination, the currency to one currency, the volume to the same annual figure and the quality requirement to the same standard. Then compare the lines: material, conversion, tooling, finish, scrap credit and packaging.

A quote that is low on conversion and high on tooling may be a different process. A quote that is low on material may assume a narrower strip or a different alloy. A quote that is low on finish may have assumed a thinner plating. The comparison should surface those differences, not hide them.

Ask each supplier to state the assumptions behind the price. A supplier that can list the assumptions has a model. A supplier that cannot may be guessing, and a guess will change when the programme starts.

A useful habit is to send the same comparison grid back with the quote request. When every supplier fills in the same lines, the differences become visible without a meeting. The buyer can then ask about the specific line that is out of line rather than the total price.